Occupational therapy is a sensitive career. It involves handling people who are temporarily or permanently disabled. For children, they can help them better participate in school and home activities. They also help the elderly be more independent and active. It is mostly a fulfilling career.
So, how can a student studying occupational therapy attain success in school and become board certified?
- Make use of practice exams
Focusing on your studies is the number one tactic to ensure your dreams and aspirations of being an occupational therapist come to pass. NBCOT practice exams are a good way to test your knowledge in all your areas of study.
To make the most out of it, ensure you take practice exams at least a week or two before board examinations. That way, you expose your strengths and weak points in the topics of study, placing you in a better position to plan the remaining time well.
- Do not miss classes
Occupational therapy covers a wide range of services. Students are required to learn about mental health, rehabilitation, disability, health and wellness, productive aging, children and youth, and many more.
All these practice areas have many sub-topics that a student needs to study. As such, students need to keep up with their classes. Missing classes makes you fall behind, increasing your probability of failing the exams.
- Avoid cramming
In high school, cramming could help you pass the examinations. The same applies to other minor courses that do not require much studying. The case is, however, different from medical school.
As stated earlier, students studying to become occupational therapists have vast areas of study and cramming is never effective. The best thing to do is to read and understand the concept. That way, you can tackle any question, no matter how it is paraphrased, based on your understanding.
- Find out when you are most productive
The importance of finding out when you are most productive cannot be over-emphasized. Medical school can be overwhelming and difficult. However, it is by studying when you are most productive that you retain most of the knowledge.
Once you have figured out your most productive hours, handle more challenging tasks during the period. Avoid meaningless tasks such as organizing your books, creating timetables, or answering texts.
- Join a study group
If you are a procrastinator, joining a study group keeps you accountable. Additionally, it is an opportunity to learn things faster to avoid any time wastage.
In the study group, you will be going through the syllabus with other occupational therapy students. That way, you can embrace better study habits which can help you grasp difficult concepts with ease.
Furthermore, study groups open up discussions, allowing members to air out their different perspectives and viewpoints, which plays a great role in improving your critical thinking.
- Take some time off
As much as occupational therapy students are required to put much of their time into their studies, the importance of taking some time off is essential. Doing your favorite part-time activity or getting enough rest is vital as it is rejuvenating and the next time you go to class you will be refreshed.
